It is with an extremely heavy heart that I write that Army Staff Sgt. David Thomas died last week after a brave battle against lung cancer he contracted from the burn pits while serving our country at war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I had the unique honor and privilege of serving with David when I was an Army intelligence officer, including when we were deployed to Iraq. Some men are difficult to describe in words, but this is simply not the case with David. In many ways, he could pass for a cousin of John Wayne: He was hardened both physically and emotionally by over a decade in the Army including four combat deployments, yet he had youthful eyes that provided a dynamic window into his caring and understanding nature. He spoke with a deep Texas drawl and he would remind anyone who would listen that he was Texas born and bred and that, if he weren't required to wear an Army uniform, there would be a Texas flag displayed prominently somewhere on his clothing (and probably more than one).

David, an emergency medical technician at Houston-area hospitals at the time, enlisted in the Army shortly after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. He'd known that he wanted to serve in the Army since he was a child. What always struck me about David was his unyielding passion for his profession and his Army. Many men, myself included, served our time in uniform and then parted ways with the military as soon as the opportunity came about. We longed for days without daily physical exercise, early morning wake-up calls and - perhaps most important of all - the wars that we knew we would inevitably go to.

David was an exception, in that he embraced every conceivable aspect of the Army, regardless of whether it was completely draining or otherwise. Indeed, I vividly remember that he would show up to physical training every morning at 6 a.m. with bandages covering his legs or arms from long-standing injuries, but enthusiastic nonetheless and ready and willing to start the day.

He had this same "can do" spirit while we were deployed to Iraq. Despite the grueling and vexing nature of warfare, David remained optimistic and committed to the mission at hand. One time during a rocket attack on our base, David grabbed a new soldier and stared deep into his eyes and said, "You can run to the bunker if you want to, but I have known too many soldiers killed on the way. When it is your time, it is just your time."

During our deployment, David and I developed a close relationship based on our mutual love of politics. From this baseline, I came to know David very well, and I can say without hesitation that he is one of the most decent men I have ever known. He bled red, white and blue until the very end. Even after he was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer that had metastasized to his brain and was told that he only had six to 18 months to live, he chose to continue his service.

As I write this, I can hear his trademark Texas drawl insisting that I tell you how much he loved his family. The only thing that David loved more than the Army was his family. In a nutshell, his wife, Bethe, and his children were his backbone and lifeblood. I have often wondered how a man can deploy to war four times and continue to thrive. David's family, now living in the Cypress area, provides the only feasible explanation: They were the engine in the vehicle of his life.

It is important to understand that the Army was a very tough environment in which the operational tempo involved a combat deployment or preparation for one. David's four deployments serve as an example of the hardships so many also endured. For these reasons, he and his family are unsung American heroes. His wife is such an amazing person that she helped lead groups and events for other wives of deployed soldiers to help them get through their daily struggles. I believe that heaven must have a special place for our warriors. I have full faith and confidence that David is now serving with an Army unit among the angels, preferably a unit that allows him to show off a Texas flag.

War and its scars are indeed ugly things, but the situation would be infinitely worse if we forget heroes like David and his family. No burn pit will be able to destroy the memories I will always have of David. Please be sure to keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. God bless the fallen.

Bradford Kelley, an attorney, is a former U.S. Army infantry and intelligence officer who served with Staff Sgt. David Thomas. Sgt. Thomas' funeral will be held Saturday in Houston.